Most frequent collaboratorDavid Ray Stevens · 27 tracks
GenresCountryCountry RapHip Hop
Collaborator
58%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 83 of 143 tracks
Does Jelly Roll write his own songs?
Yes. Jelly Roll is credited on 100% of his catalogue, co-writing nearly every song. He almost always writes with a team rather than alone, a habit he carried from his early independent hip-hop days into country. Songs like 'Save Me,' 'Son of a Sinner,' and 'Need a Favor' are all his co-writes.
By the Numbers
10
Studio Albums
143
Tracks Credited
58%
Self-Written
14
Years Active
125
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 83 / 143 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 143 tracks: how many Jelly Roll wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Jelly Roll has a writing credit58%
1%
57%
42%
Sole author1tracks1%
Co-written82tracks57%
Outside writers60tracks42%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Jelly Roll's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 143 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)58%
Composer (music)58%
Producer6%
Performer42%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Jelly Roll's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 58%
0%
0%
0%
100%
0%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2012The Big Sal Story
2016Sobriety Sucks
2017Addiction Kills
2018Goodnight Nashville
2019Whiskey Sessions II
2020A Beautiful Disaster
2020Self Medicated
2021Ballads of the Broken
2023Whitsitt Chapel
2024Beautifully Broken
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
2010s
The Big Sal Story, Sobriety Sucks +3 more
100%
2020s
A Beautiful Disaster, Self Medicated +3 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Jelly Roll sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Jelly Roll
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. DR David Ray Stevens · TT Thomas Toner · JF Jack Fowler · SS Stuart Stapleton · SM Still Matthews
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Jelly Roll co-writes virtually every song he records, a habit carried from his independent hip-hop roots into mainstream country. Even as his collaborator circle expanded to include high-profile Nashville writers (Jesse Frasure, Hillary Lindsey, Ashley Gorley) and pop producers (Ryan Tedder, The Monsters & Strangerz), he maintained a writing credit on every track. His lyricist and composer scores are nearly identical throughout his career, an unusually consistent pattern for a genre-crossover artist.
Quick Facts
Son of a SinnerHis 2022 single became his first number-one country radio hit and mainstream breakthrough
CMA New ArtistWon the CMA New Artist of the Year award in 2023
GrammysNominated for Best New Artist in 2024 and won three Grammys in 2026
Redemption storyA formerly incarcerated artist whose comeback became central to his music and appeal
Genre crossoverMoves between country, rock, and hip-hop, drawing from all three worlds
Creative Fingerprint
A co-writer on everything he cuts: Jelly Roll is credited on 100% of his catalogue, carrying a habit of co-writing from his independent hip-hop days into country, almost always with a Nashville team rather than alone.
The Story
Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord on December 4, 1984, in Nashville, Tennessee, is a country-rap and country singer-songwriter whose career spans over a decade of independent underground hip-hop releases before a crossover breakthrough in mainstream country. Known for raw, confessional songwriting about addiction, incarceration, redemption, and faith, Jelly Roll built a grassroots following through relentless independent releases and touring throughout the 2010s. His transition toward country and country-rap began to solidify with A Beautiful Disaster (2020) and Self Medicated (2020), which blended hip-hop production with country themes and personal storytelling. The 2021 album Ballads of the Broken introduced him to mainstream country audiences and spawned the crossover single 'Son of a Sinner,' which reached number one on the country airplay chart. His 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and Beautifully Broken (2024) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, cementing him as one of country's biggest mainstream stars and earning him the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Country Album in 2026.
Awards & Recognition
Won the CMA New Artist of the Year award in 2023
Nominated for the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2024
Won three Grammy Awards in 2026, including Best Country Duo/Group Performance for 'Amen' with Shaboozey
'Son of a Sinner' was his first number-one country radio single
Frequently Asked Questions Jelly Roll
Does Jelly Roll write his own songs?
Yes. Jelly Roll is credited on 100% of his catalogue, co-writing nearly every song. He almost always writes with a team rather than alone, a habit he carried from his early independent hip-hop days into country. Songs like 'Save Me,' 'Son of a Sinner,' and 'Need a Favor' are all his co-writes.
Who wrote 'Son of a Sinner'?
'Son of a Sinner,' from Ballads of the Broken (2021), was co-written by Jelly Roll with Ernest and David Ray Stevens. It became his first number-one country radio single and the song that broke him into the mainstream.
What is Jelly Roll's real name and background?
His real name is Jason DeFord. He spent time incarcerated for drug-related felonies as a young man before turning his life around through music, and he received a pardon from the governor of Tennessee in 2025. That redemption story runs through much of his songwriting.
Who wrote 'Need a Favor'?
'Need a Favor,' from Whitsitt Chapel (2023), was co-written by Jelly Roll with his Nashville collaborators. Its mix of rock and country and its themes of faith and struggle made it one of his biggest crossover hits.
Has Jelly Roll won a Grammy?
Yes. After being nominated for Best New Artist in 2024, he won three Grammy Awards in 2026, including Best Country Duo/Group Performance for 'Amen' with Shaboozey. He also won CMA New Artist of the Year in 2023.
Jelly Roll blends country, country rap, and rock, drawing on his hip-hop roots and Southern rock influences on songs like 'Son of a Sinner' and 'Save Me.'
Why is Jelly Roll's music so personal?
His songs draw directly on his own life, including addiction, incarceration, and recovery. Because he co-writes everything he records, that personal story stays at the center of his music, which is a big part of why fans connect with it.
Who does Jelly Roll collaborate with?
He co-writes with Nashville songwriters like Ernest and David Ray Stevens and has recorded duets with artists including Lainey Wilson and Shaboozey, bridging country, rock, and hip-hop audiences.
Jelly Roll